Next year already started for juniors

DOVER - The day after losing their final
football game of the 2000 season, two of Dover High School's junior
starters were already looking ahead to 2001.

And this is by no means meant as disrespect
to the Dover seniors who concluded their high school careers in
last Saturday's 21-7 loss to Pequannock in the Section 2, Group 2
state championship game.

Indeed, it is because of the seniors that
the juniors on the team want to make sure they are in a position to
do better next season.

The Tigers of 2000 finished with an 8-4
record.

The Tigers of 2001 want to do
better.

The Tigers of 2000 were in the hunt for a
share of the IHC-Hills Division title until the final day of the
season when a loss to Hanover Park left them two games behind
co-champs Mendham and Hanover Park.

The Tigers of 2001 want to do
better.

The Tigers of 2000 reached the championship
game of the Section 2, Group 2 in the state playoffs.

The Tigers of 2001 want to do better and you
know what that means - a state championship.

Twins Mike and Keith Franco are two of the
juniors. They are younger brothers of Chris, who won a sectional
title with Dover in 1996 and doesn't hesitate to show his little
brothers his championship ring whenever they ask.

Both brothers will tell you that the seniors
were "… great leaders and great motivators," who did a good job in
keeping the team together.

"Mike Hrynio, Rodney Doster , Kyle Krug and
Juan Rivera were the captains and they and all the other seniors
put a big emphasis on staying together and thinking as a team,"
Mike says. "They made sure we were ready and came to play every
game."

Dover, which went into the season with high
expectations, was severly jolted on opeing day when it lost a 27-21
decision to Summit in triple overtime after leading for much of the
game.

According to Mike's brother Keith, it was
the captains and seniors who stepped in to make sure the team
didn't get down on itself after that first week.

"When we lost our opener, we didn't know
what to expect," Keith says. "I guess we could have gone in any
direction from that game.

"But the captains and the seniors kept us
going, they wouldn't let us get down on ourselves … and we came
back to win the next six games.

"They did a great job."

For this reason, Mike Franco sees no reason
to make any big changes in the way this past season's seniors did
things.

And Mike Franco will have a lot to say about
it, too, because he and Jake Conover and Julio Sosa were chosen by
their teammates last Sunday night at the team's post-season banquet
to be the captains for the 2001 season.

"We'll keep everything the same because it
worked," Mike says. "We just hope we do as good a job as they
did."

Sophs Yusuf Glover, Andres Cordero and Willy
Munoz also picked up valuable experience this season and will play
key roles next year.

Next year?

Next year has already started, according to
the Francos.

According to Mike, the team will be in the
weight room "… right after the Christmas vacation," to start a
workout regimen that will continue throughout the school year, into
the summer and right up to the start of football practice next
season.

"Those who don't play a winter sport will be
lifting … same in the spring," says Mike. "The weight room is open
now for those who want to use it and we'll be in it officially
after the holidays."

That's great with Keith but, as long as the
room is open now, he figures he might as well get in there now and,
as of Sunday afternoon, he was saying that "…Monday would be a good
time," for him to start.

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In recent weeks, Long Hill Township and Watchung Borough passed ordinances allowing their police departments to be able to apply for surplus equipment from the Department of Defense. Long Hill recently procured a Humvee to use in times of flooding, which Watchung states as the reason they are getting into the program. However, in cities around the country, police forces have used the program to obtain military gear, such as weapons and armor.
For more background, go to the link below
http://www.newjerseyhills.com/echoes-sentinel/news/watchung-police-department-hopes-to-receive-equipment-from-department-of/article_12ad002a-92b3-5449-a2cc-4b2cf0ce4339.html